LOUIE
by rosebudlady
Summary: Louie's first months in Dodge City.


This story started out with Louie as a minor character. But, Louie took over the story. Some of this story may not altogether fit the character of Louie as shown on Gunsmoke. I cannot remember every detail of the character so bear with me on that. Also, Louie is not a pervert in case you misread my intention in a section of the story. He was, as Curley said to Moe, a victim of circumstances. Just wanted to be clear on that.

I make no profit from this story. I just wish I did.

LOUIE

Louie Pheeters stumbled into the Long Branch that evening just as he had stumbled into Dodge City six months before, disheveled, ragged, not altogether clean and a little drunk. He stood for a moment, wavering on his feet, until his rheumy eyes rested on his target.

"M. .M . .Marshal Dillon," Louie stuttered out loudly, "there's a man looking for you. Said his name was Ronan."

Matt Dillon looked up as his name was called. His face showed displeasure and resignation at the same time. "Alright, Louie, what did he want?"

"Don't know," Louie hiccouped, "but he said he'd wait for you in your office."

Matt sighed as he rose. He looked down at his companion, "See ya' later, Kitty."

Louie watched in silence as Kitty smiled, acknowledging Matt's goodbye. Kitty's red hair reminded him of his Sarah, long gone, dead in childbirth along with the child. But where Kitty's eyes were a bright blue, his Sarah's eyes, behind the spectacles she wore, had been brown. And, where Kitty was a renowned beauty, Sarah had been considered plain. She was on the shelf when he met her, 32 years old and teaching school. Louie had been smitten immediately. Not being a young man himself, he'd married her as soon as the semester had ended at his college. Louie felt tears swell up in his eyes. He hastily wiped them away and hurried to the bar.

"Sam, how about a drink?"

Sam could hear the desperation in Louie's voice, something he'd become accustomed to in the months since Louie's arrival in Dodge.

Kitty looked around as she heard Louie's request. She had quickly sized up Louie the first day he appeared, battered and bruised. No one knew how Louie had made his way to Dodge. Whether by foot or by wagon, it was anyone's guess.

Sam looked over at Kitty. Kitty nodded and mouthed one. Sam studied Louie a moment before asking, "Louie, have you eaten anything today?"

Louie stared down at the bar - his silence was his answer.

"How about I make you a deal? Sam reached under the bar and pulled out some boiled eggs and several pretzels. Sam quickly shelled an egg. "You eat at least one egg and some pretzels, and I'll give you a drink. Then, if you help me clean up a little, I'll give you a beer right before we close.

Louie nodded yes as he grabbed for the egg. In his rush to get his free drink, he almost choked on the egg. He stopped, ashamed of himself. He had been raised to be a gentleman with manners. There was a time in his life when he and Sarah ate at a dining room table every night. At the thought of all the lovely meals Sarah had cooked for him so long ago, tears welled up again. He shook his head, took a breath, and finished the egg before grabbing the pretzels. Sam poured him the whiskey.

Louie took the full glass and pretzels and wandered over to the corner table far from the other patrons. He quickly downed the drink before finishing the pretzels. Louie leaned back, his eyes closed as he listened to the clink of glasses, the murmurs of the deep voices of the men and the lighter sounds of the women. Occasionally he heard footsteps as a couple headed upstairs. Louie was aware of why the couples went upstairs. He knew some of the women did, and some did not. He had noticed not long after his arrival that Miss Kitty never went upstairs with any of the men.

It hadn't taken long to figure out why. Two months after coming to Dodge, Festus asked him to help in making repairs to the back stairs of the Long Branch. At the end of the job, Miss Kitty paid them. She had tried to keep part of the money from Louie in order to dole it out. But he had taken it all and bought himself a couple of bottles.

That night as Louie staggered around town, needing a place to sleep, he decided he'd sleep under the newly repaired stairs. So, with his ragged blanket, he crawled under the stairs pulling some empty boxes around him. He dozed off and on, taking a nip whenever he woke. After midnight, Louie was startled to hear footsteps coming his way. He roused up and looked in the direction of the sound. With just the light from the gas lamps out on Front Street, he was able to make out a figure of a man. Closer and closer the man came. Frightened, Louie hugged his last bottle tightly to his chest. The sudden sound of a door opening above caused Louie to jump. Louie looked up and was surprised to see Kitty Russell, a candle in her hand, descending the stairs in a nightgown. She whispered, "Matt, I was hoping you'd be able to make it."

Louie was amazed to see the taciturn Marshal pull her to him and kiss her while lowering the straps of her nightgown. Kitty giggled, "Come on, Cowboy." She took the Marshal's hand and led him up the stairs shutting the door softly.

Louie was dumbfounded and felt a little guilty for being an observer of a private moment. He took another drink, and then a few more before passing out.

The sound of heavy footsteps coming down the stairs roused Louie from his drunken stupor. Kitty stood at her door with a lit candle in her hand and whispered, "Do you have to go now?"

"You know I have to go – it'll be daylight in an hour," Matt's deep voice continued as he went down the stairs, "I wish I could stay."

Kitty sighed.

Matt hesitated and turned back climbing the steps to Kitty. He gently embraced her before pressing her against the wall. Kitty said, "Oh," softly as she dropped the candle. The flame in the candle sputtered out but the flame of passion between the two was reignited. The sounds emanating from them caused Louie to pull the blanket over his head. He gulped the last few drops from his last bottle and surrendered to sleep. The quiet noise above him couldn't keep him awake.

Louie woke the next morning hung over and confused. But, he vowed to himself to never tell anyone what he'd innocently been a witness to that night.

Louie's remembrance of that night ended as he felt a hand on his shoulder. The hand shook him hard. Louie opened one eye and then the other. Through the smoky haze, he could see Doc standing in front of him, "Louie, wake up!"

"Huh! What? Oh, it's you, Doc."

"Louie, you look terrible."

"Well, Doc, you don't look so good yourself."

"I've been out on the prairie all day taking care of sick folks. I have a right to look this way." Doc swiped his moustache before he frowned, "You must be drunker than usual."

Before Louie could answer, Festus appeared behind Doc, "Louie, you gotta get aholt of yorself. Why, you look worse than one of Aunt Thede's boys after he come home from a fighting with them Sistrunk boys – all six of them."

Louie looked affronted, "I'm not a fighter, Festus. Besides, those who walk away live to fight another day."

"Huh?" Festus looked perplexed. "Doc, what's he a saying?"

"Never mind, Festus, it's over your head."

Doc shook his finger at Louie. "You need to get to bed. Tomorrow you come by and let me look at you."

"There's nothing wrong with me, Doc. Gonna stay and help Sam clean up."

Kitty eased her way between Doc and Festus. "Louie, are you doing all right?"

"Yes, Miss Kitty, and might I say that which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet. And, tonight you are the rose."

Festus snorted.

Doc asked, "Do you know you are quoting Shakespeare, Louie?"

"Who's Shakespeare?" questioned Festus. "I ain't never met nobody around here with that silly name."

Louie stood shakily, "Of course, I do, Doc. It's from act two scene two in Romeo and Juliet. The Bard was my favorite. Macbeth and Hamlet especially."

Doc, speechless, and with a look of amazement on his face watched as Louie straightened his coat and with as much dignity as he could muster, walked to the bar.

"Sam," asked Louie, "what can I do to help?"

"Put the chairs up and sweep. That'll do it. Your beer will be waiting on you."

Doc pulled on his ear as Kitty asked him, "Well, who would have thought Louie knew anything about Shakespeare."

"Not me, that's for sure," answered Doc. "He's obviously more educated than he appears."

"Well, will somebody tell me who these Shakespeare fellas is? I ain't never heard of anybody with the first name of Macbeth and Hamlet neither. Is Juliet married to one of them?"

Doc shook his head before loudly saying, "I'm going to bed. Kitty, see you tomorrow. You can explain to Festus who Shakespeare is."

"I don't think I wanna know about these folks," sputtered Festus as he turned and walked out the swinging doors, "Silly yahoos with names like that. Night, Miss Kitty."

"Good night, Festus," answered Kitty chuckling as she sat down.

Sam handed the cash box to Kitty. She began to count the money but stopped at the sound of familiar footsteps. "Hey, Cowboy, come for a night cap?"

"Sounds good. Evening Louie, Sam."

Matt sat down, and a beer was immediately put down in front of him.

"Nice and cold, Marshal. Hope you like it. You know, in England, they serve the ale warm but I never liked to drink it that way. Of course, they drink tea instead of coffee most of the time. Why, I remember . . . ." Louie stopped, his eyes staring off into the distance. Matt and Kitty waited for him to continue. Louie's eyes focused. He cleared his throat, "Well, let me get my beer, and I'll be on my way."

Matt whispered to Kitty, "Seems he's been to England. Has he told you anything about that?"

She shook her head.

Sam handed the beer to Louie. Louie raised it up and murmured, "To Sarah." He downed the beer in a few gulps, wiped his mouth on his sleeve and headed for the door.

Louie paused, "Good night, Sam. Marshal. Miss Kitty."

"Good night, Louie."

Louie took a deep breath and walked out into the darkness.

"Sam," Kitty asked, "what was that he said before he drank his beer?"

"Miss Kitty, I'm not sure but I think he said 'to Sarah.'

THE END


End file.
